


The Girl Who Vanished (Years 3-4)

by poggersmydudes



Series: The Girl Who Vanished [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fred Weasley Dies, Fred Weasley Lives, Fred/OC - Freeform, Frenemies, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lucius Malfoy Being an Asshole, Mild Blood, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Romance, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:28:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29990457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poggersmydudes/pseuds/poggersmydudes
Summary: Bibiana Malfoy grew up being exactly who she thought she was supposed to be. Perfect little daughter, perfect little student, perfect little liar. And she was fine with that.But that changes when she discovers the lies everyone has kept from her. With help from a set of twins and a shy boy, she has to piece together the secrets that reveal not only who she is, but who she wants to be.
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Girl Who Vanished [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153820
Kudos: 4





	1. Emeralds and Old Money

"Goodbye, Severus. Remember that you're not going to be needed next weekend. Bibiana will be having some company," her father grumbled to the potion's master who was collecting his wits after their latest training session.

Of course, once her father got word of her rather impressive progress with Legilimency, the man wasted no time convincing the Head of Slytherin to frequent the Manor on the weekends to continue where they left off from school. They had their silent agreement, he would continue to teach her as long as she kept absolutely quiet over the whole matter. It made telling the truth difficult to her friends, and yet Ana knew it was a sacrifice she had to make if she wanted to appease her father.

Learning the skill did give Ana a bit of an ego boost, she was able to succeed even moderately in something her father failed at time and time again. That little fact made her warm and prideful; it reminded her that no matter how hard her father tried, he didn't have all the answers. Or all the power.

Ana gave the potions master a lackluster wave, which didn't matter considering he left the large estate without a second glance.

"Alright, Draco! You can come out now!"

Her father's blasted voice echoed throughout the house, bouncing off every cold vacant wall until it reached the ears of her younger brother. She didn't understand why he still called for the boy, he never came out anyways.

Once her father refused to share with Draco why Professor Snape was there, he grew irritated: most weekends he stayed locked up in his large room with no one to talk to. At least to their father's knowledge, but Ana knew that Draco would talk to Dobby whenever she was busy and he was lonely. Neither were quiet about their story telling, her father was just too uninvolved to care about his son.

During the weekdays when their father was at work, Draco would made his appearance. Ana would be laying in her bed, reading either a book on Herbology or Potions when he would crawl on the floor: always low enough so she wouldn't see him sneak up on her. As her head was stuck between the pages of her books, he would chuck his golden snitch at her head, laughing every time it bounced off her skull. That was his ritual if he wanted to hangout. He did that every day.

Draco was determined to make the Quidditch team, given the empty seeker slot that desperately needed to be filled. It was his favorite position to play; he would zip around on his broom, faster than she ever could despite being a chaser. But the job of the chaser meant working well with two other teammates, and Draco was not necessarily the collaborative type. He wanted the glory. He wanted to be the reason the team won a whopping 150 points at the end of the match. He wanted to be appreciated, and Ana could understand why.

Every day, regardless of how tired she was, Ana would take him up on his offer to chase after the little golden ball in the heat of the blazing summer sky. It burnt their skin, with how long they stayed out, but Ana didn't want Draco to turn away from her given how miserable she was when he ignored her last year. She didn't know what exactly made him come back to her, but she thanked the heavens for it. Ana missed Draco dearly, and she figured he missed her too.

After her usual dinner of soup and a sandwich and joining Draco for a game of chase-the-snitch, Ana started imagining all the fun things she would get to do once her very own guest arrived to the manor. It was almost at the end of the summer when Ana was finally able to convince her father to let Aeron stay for a weekend. Whenever she brought it up he would roll his eyes and tell her that inviting rowdy children to the manner was not something he ever wanted, until she mentioned who it would be. Her father's interest piqued once he found out she wanted her Pureblood friend to join them for a few days. In his mind it was better than her wanting to spend time with the Boles, a known bloodtraitor family, or the Muggleborn that she lived with at school. It made the bitter man's skin crawl with her even owling them during the summer, but her mother insisted she was allowed that luxury.

Draco had told them all about Ana's friend group; but Aeron was always welcomed. As long as he was accompanied by a guardian. Ana was quick to accept his conditions and started giggling to herself in anticipation of his arrival.

The week went by quickly; Ana made sure to spend all of her waking hours in the greenhouse with her mother or on a broom with Draco. She would never be able to read with the amount of nervous but excited energy that raced through her. Aeron started off as a bit of a bad Burt's Bean. The boy just needed a group to accept him, and Ana was grateful that he accepted her and her friends. He fit right in with his snarky comments and fiercely protective nature. But what Ana enjoyed the most was how he was taking to Calista. At the beginning of the their first year he was standoffish towards her, doing whatever he could to make sure there was a great bit of distance between them.

During their last meal in the Great Hall she was painting his fingernails. It was a wonderful change. One she didn't know she needed.

It was the day when Aeron would be popping into the manor by floo powder and Ana sat at the plush antique sofa that was meters from the grand fireplace with a blanket covering every inch of her. She was bouncing with excitement, just staring at the glossy black bricks that would be the spot he would soon occupy. He wasn't due to show up for another hour, but Ana woke up impossibly early so she wouldn't miss a second of his company. Although, her body didn't cooperate.

Ana had fallen asleep at the sofa, hunched with her arms tucked beneath her feet while her head was angled awkwardly at the top of the cushions. Her hair was now cut shorter, hovering just below her collarbones, it was in dire need of a chop with how long it had gotten and the shorter length would make playing chaser a touch easier. She was fully dressed in her typical Malfoy approved wear, it was disgustingly formal given they would probably play gobstones or something equally as juvenile. Perhaps Draco would join in, Ana dreamt with a smile on her face.

A loud pop made the young girl jump up from her spot, making her cringe at the pain in her neck. Her hand immediately went to rub the aching spot, regretting falling asleep in such a strange position. But her eyes widened at the sight before her.

First to come out of the fireplace was a large stern looking man, whose face had more scars than lived years. His hair was a light silver, reminding her of her own. In fact the entirety of him reeked of Malfoy traits and it instantly made Ana sit up straighter under his harsh gaze. His brows met in the middle of his wrinkled forehead before making his way to her, scoffing at her disheveled appearance.

"Where is your father, girl?" He grumbled harshly, whether it was from just waking up or the fact that he looked like someone who would sound like a dying dragon, Ana didn't know. But she figured it was the latter given his looks.

"Kitchen," was all she replied. It was sharp and laced with indifference, her face unmoved by the man no matter how unnerved he made her.

All he did was grunt in acknowledgment and left the room in search for her father, his steps were heavy as he walked through her house like he knew that layout. She watched him walk away, noticing he had the same smug arrogance as her father. They'd get along just fine Ana assumed.

A similar pop sounded from the fireplace, making Ana jump in excitement, clinging onto her blanket as she neared the fireplace. Her blue eyes were glowing, just waiting to meet the dark chocolate eyes that belonged to Aeron. However, when he turned to her, her smile faded.

His hair that was wonderfully long and floppy the last time she saw him on the Hogwarts Express was now buzzed down to the skull, almost as if someone tried taking off the top layer of his skin. It was strange to see him like this, almost a blank canvas, devoid of the fun of his old, wilder self. Aeron's eyes, though they were a cold dark brown and lined blue with exhaustion, they shined happily once he saw her.

Aeron went to embrace her, extending his arms out for a hug which Ana avoided by shieling herself with her blanket.

"Sorry, Aer-head, I'm just cold," she giggled, thinking her new nickname for him was a spectacular discovery.

"Honestly, is that going to be a new thing? Because if it is, I may just go back to hating your guts."

Ana feigned an offended expression, but even she couldn't hide her happiness from the boy. It was like breaking the spell that the whole Manor was under. With just her family roaming the halls, it lacked character and adventure. Aeron was a piece of the life she missed, thrusted into the one she despised for the most part. It was startling, but wonderful.

"Oh, you couldn't hate me even if you tried!" Ana muttered as she ran out of the room, leaving a very perplexed boy standing alone in her cold den with her discarded blanket. His face twisted in confusion before he abandoned his small trunk and ran after her.

She didn't know why she started running, but the feeling of chuckling mindlessly down the wide corridors of her dreadful home as her friend was close behind felt freeing. Never would she have done this, but his arrival was cause for some careless celebration. The clicking of her tiny heels against the stone floor threatened a rolled ankle, but she didn't care given the fact that Aeron was hot on her trail.

The manor was a large estate, but Ana wanted to hide, like she did with Draco when they were younger. With her heart beating fast, she decided to take a detour and pitter patted down into the cellar, finding the darkness a perfect place to escape. She wasn't typically allowed down in the musty room, but she needed the shadows. Her feet were hurting and her messy hair was covered in a thin layer of perspiration, further making her look completely unacceptable as she crouched behind a pillar.

Perhaps there was a reason she was advised to stay away from the cellar, she realized as the gray stone walls iced in a freezing chill, making her miss her warm blanket from moments before. There were no windows, and the darkness was shifting from a perfect place to hide into a reason for her to leave. Oxygen didn't circulate in the boxed off room and it only reminded her of the dreams she so desperately tried to escape.

Suddenly, Aeron came racing into the room, but his stride halted the moment he arrived in the dingy room. She remained crouched, although her idea of sneaking up on him was exiled from her mind. The boy merely observed the room with wide eyes, the dark coloring getting lost without a source of light. His gaze found hers, but refocused to the door that typically kept the room off limits. Well, it was technically a door.

Aeron's hand rose slowly to drag a boney finger along the rod iron gate that was left open. He shivered at the feeling of ice cold metal and returned his hand to his side with a bewildered expression.

"Ana what is this place?"

~

The man with short silver hair glided along the lush carpets that lined the dining room to the kitchen, his memory trying to piece together how the room looked now compared to before. It was still dark and vaguely undecorated, the Malfoys weren't known for collecting knick knacks of any sort. But the ornate tapestries and the silver candlesticks with glowing candles remained the same. Emerald and metal and silk could be found within every inch of the property. It made the man smile.

It was rather quiet on this wing of the manor, not even the ticking of the grand clock could be heard and he wondered if the sound was under a silencing spell. His loud steps resonated the closer he got to the kitchen and once he stepped inside his back straightened into a tall line.

"Lucius Malfoy," he muttered through his teeth, watching the other man who was sitting at the head of the marble island. The kitchen was exactly the same, he noted.

"Corban Yaxley," her father mirrored the visitor's greeting and tone, rising from his seat to stand closer to the man.

Both of them were caricatures of the other, as if someone envisioned the same person twice with slight tweaks to differentiate the two. Their breaths reeked of old money and pride.

"I must admit, I was surprised to have received your invitation, Lucius. I was unaware of my nephew being such close acquaintances with your daughter. Glad both your children were sorted into Slytherin; would have been a nasty surprise if they weren't."

Yaxley took it upon himself to pour a cup of steaming hot tea, interacting with the items around him as if he too owned the manor. His grip was firm and certain, nothing was off limits to him here as he sat down.

"Yes, well, there would be no reason to have anything other than Slytherins within this household, wouldn't you agree?"

The scarred man quirked his brow in agreement, a tight smile pulled at his thin lips as he played with the onyx ring on his finger. He simply huffed and took a sip of his tea.

"I extend my sincerest apologies to you, Yaxley. It was terrible what happened to your sister and her husband. Quite astounding that you took in Aeron at all. Children can definitely be a handful."

"They can be, as long as you know how to handle them," he snickered darkly, the image of his nephew's shaved head appeared in the back of his mind. "As long as you remind them of the important things in life, everything will fall into place."

His weathered hand dipped into the fold of his thick coat, a rather robust piece of outerwear considering just how hot the summer had been, but appearances came with a price. Clutched within his grasp was a book: a jet black leather-bound book with gold hardware was dropped onto the table and slid towards Ana's father. Yaxley smirked at the bewildered expression that befell the man in front of him.

"I was going to deliver this myself; however, I will not be making my way to Diagon Ally anytime soon. But perhaps you can drop this off to who would make great use of it."

Lucius Malfoy picked up the book, marveling at the weight of such a miraculous artefact. He rotated it within his hand, memorizing every line and thread on the book, smiling at the etched name at the bottom.

Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"Do not worry, Yaxley," he groaned with a satisfied sneer, "I will handle it. When the kids go back to school, this little darling will find its way into Hogwarts one way or another. I will make certain of it."

Aeron's uncle reclined in his seat with a triumphant smile, lifting his cup of tea to cheers the man before him. Their plan was set in motion.

~

Ana stood from her spot in the cellar, tentatively growing closer to the boy who looked fearfully at the place she had unfortunately led him.

"I'm not sure what it is to be honest," she admitted quietly. "A cellar is what I've been told."

She must admit that it was a rather peculiar room within her house. There was not a single item of furniture or decoration, no color as far as she could see, besides the brown of the dirt that had settled in all four corners. The two of them took up a miniscule amount of the large yet suffocating room and it made her more uncomfortable by the second.

They both yelped at the shadow that appeared on the floor before them, her heart pounding against her chest.

"What are you kids doing?" Ana's mother scolded in a hushed tone. "Bibiana, you should know better than to come down here. Shame on you."

The young girl's face fell at her mother's disappointment; Aeron felt bad at her being yelled at, even if it was by a kind looking woman.

"Let's go, now."

Neither kids hesitated to follow her suggestion, Aeron and Ana scurried up the stairs and made their way outside towards the greenhouse. The harsh sunlight bore into their eyes which contrasted incredibly from the dark pit they had just stumbled upon. Aeron rubbed at his prickly scalp, finding the heat unbearably hot on his exposed head, but he smiled at the sight of Ana embracing the sting of the summer morning.

Aeron missed her greatly, being in a house with his less than warm uncle wasn't the most fun. From the small bit of exposure he had with Ana's family already he was reminded of a conversation he had with Lucian earlier that year. 

"You think Ana doesn't like her own family?"

It was a simple guess, but Aeron already started to believe that he was correct in suggesting Ana didn't quite like her home life. If it was anything like he experienced, than they both had more in common than he had assumed.

"Whatcha thinking about Aeron?" Ana smiled at him, her eyes squinting as she attempted to block out the intensity of the sun. They shined an even clearer blue in direct light and her cheeks were red with embarrassment. She had grown a tad bit taller but his stature now exceeded hers, making him have to look down at her.

"I just-" he took a moment to consider what it was he wanted to say, "I guess I'm just happy to get to hang out with you. Missed ya, Ana."

Her red cheeks plumped up joyfully at his gentle admission, making her giddy feeling from that morning resurface in full.

"Missed you too, Aer-head," she giggled as she directed him towards the direction of the greenhouse.


	2. The Stolen Memory

“Draco! That’s not how you play wizard’s chess!” Aeron chuckled at the younger boy who stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, his porcelain skin crinkled between the brows.

“You make the next move than if you’re so good at it! Go ahead, Wright.”

Ana was sitting on one side of the chessboard, watching the two boys who sat opposite her who had been whispering tactics back and forth for the better portion of an hour. They had been playing for so long that Ana’s eyes were growing heavy, but Draco insisted on learning once he saw the two of them playing.

It was the last few moments of Aeron’s visit with her and to Ana’s surprise, the weekend went off without any problems. Their parents and Aeron’s uncle typically spent all their time in their father’s library, which was off limits to them anyways, whereas the kids would hang out in the garden. Except for when they played chess.

At the start of the game, Draco kept his distance from Aeron which seemed unlike her brother. Besides a few disagreements, she had never seen the two of them never fight, so his wariness of the fellow Slytherin seem unwarranted. Aeron’s glare on Draco was steady and solid, but that intensity dwindled down every time Draco grew more frustrated at the game he couldn’t win. Ana was the reigning champion between the two, but when Aeron offered to teach Draco how to play, the animosity disappeared.

The board between them was covered in bits of broken stone players: bishops and knights were reduced to nothing more than memories as the boys were winning the round to Ana’s chagrin. She wished she knew what they were whispering to each other so she could turn the game around in her favor. Aeron’s hands were cupped around the soon-to-be second year’s ear, which only made her roll her eyes dramatically.

The boys nodded at each other as Draco picked up his king and shuffled it higher up on the board. She could feel their prideful smirks as she focused solely on the board, looking for any way to redeem herself from the dismal display in front of her.

“Draco! I need you a moment!” their mother called from the base of the grand staircase. Her little brother huffed in annoyance as he rose from his spot beside Aeron and trudged out of her room. They both picked up on the sound of his yells as they faded out of earshot, small smirks painted both of their faces. However, Aeron stood up, too, and made his way to Ana’s dresser that sat near her bed beside the window.

On top of the polished wooden piece was her bracelet from a few Christmases ago, a few silver hair clips and her diamond encrusted watch. But none of that caught his attention. Instead, the boy’s hand reached for a bottle of emerald green nail polish and held it up next to his now bare fingernails. His smile reduced to a thin straight line and it made Ana’s heart break.

“Keep it.”

Aeron’s head snapped back towards her, his eyes wide with surprise, “But, Ana this is y-“

“Yes, it’s mine. Clearly, Aer-head,” she giggled, “And now it’s yours. Seriously, take it. I was growing bored of that shade anyways.”

His face broke out in a wide grin making his eyes wrinkle at the corners from his joy. Ana offered him a sideways smirk, enjoying the way that her tiny offering made him so happy.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, he quickly pocketed the tiny bottle just in time. Without a knock or a simple act of decency, his uncle swung open the door of her room and walked in as if he owned the place.

“It’s time Aeron.”

“But, we didn’t get to finish our game,” Aeron insisted with a firm tone.

His uncle took a quick glance at the board and scoffed indifferently, “Wouldn’t matter. The bird lost. Now, let’s go.”

Ana and Aeron both stiffened at the way he addressed Ana as if she wasn’t even in the room. As if he wasn’t standing in the middle of her room. Their piercing gazes did nothing to phase the older man, who simply marched up to Aeron and grabbed the boy by the back of the collar.

Her friend did nothing to protest the man, but Ana jumped to her feet and followed the two down the large staircase. Aeron’s brows were pinched at the center in unease, the red splotches on his face melted into the blush that settled on his cheeks from his embarrassment. Though she would never blame what his uncle did on Aeron, that’d be just as cruel as to compare her to her father. A comparison she never wanted in the first place.

Once the three of them reached the base of the steps, his uncle released him just long enough to push the boy between the shoulder blades, instructing him towards the fireplace.

Dobby was dragging both of their trunks, doing his best to shove the bulky cases across the floor. Ana grimaced every time he got caught on the carpet and she yearned to reach out and help the elf. But standing beside the charcoal covered pit was her father, standing proudly with his nose held high. It was an unbecoming angle, Ana thought as she could peer straight up his flared nostrils.

Aeron rubbed his hands along the prickly surface of his head, frowning at the loss of the swishy hair he had grown to enjoy. The top of his scalp was burned from the sun, making Ana feel bad for insisting they spent so much time in the greenhouses, but that feeling simmered once he offered her a soft smile.

Her mother and Draco entered the room muttering quietly to each other; however, their discussion was silenced once they noticed they weren’t alone. The den felt oddly small regardless of the impossibly tall ceiling that was accompanied with long walls and an open floorplan. Ana’s nerves were lit like a flame as her father slowly approached the equally as silver haired man.

“It was good to see you, Yaxley,” he grumbled as the two exchanged firm handshakes. Incredibly firm given how both the veins on their forearms surfaced from the tension. Neither brought attention to it.

“Likewise, Malfoy. Given that the kids are so close, perhaps we should do this again. Next summer we will probably have loads to talk about,” Aeron’s uncle dipped his head down suggestively and smirked cheerily at his last comment. Whatever they wanted to discuss, Ana wanted no part of.

“I agree.”

As her father uttered his last word, he silently gestured the Wrights towards the fireplace. Ana’s heart sunk at having to say goodbye to her friend, but their weekend had come to a close. The boy stiffened into a straight pose, mimicking the air of confidence his uncle exhibited. Unfortunately, she had mirrored her mother and father’s mannerisms countless times before; instinctively she fixed her posture as well.

“Bye, Aeron,” Draco spat out rather abruptly.

The older boy’s brow quirked in innocent confusion, but dipped his head down as a sign of respect. Her brother’s blue eyes glowed at the acceptance and Ana reveled in the peace that lingered between them. However long it would last didn’t matter. For this singular moment, things were steady.

The guests collected their fistfuls of powder, the small particles fell to the floor in a scattered path and Ana knew that Dobby would have to clean it up later. She hated how little time they had together, but the promise of seeing Aeron in a few weeks was enough to placate her hurt.

As they raised their hands Aeron’s hand, that was still secured near his hip lifted for a moment, just long enough to give her a tiny wave. It was tiny, but it was sweet, making Ana shuffle from happiness in her spot within the cold den. In a flash of green flames, the man who resembled her father far too much, and the boy who she had grown to care so deeply for disappeared, yet she still felt his smile on her face. Even Draco was smiling. She just wished her father wasn’t smiling.

His face curled in a satisfied smirk, and Ana wished for nothing more than to wipe it off his face.

After Aeron and his uncle left, Ana and Draco went back up to her room; their feet dragged against the floor with every step. Both of them already missed the welcomed disruption that Aeron brought to their simply mundane lives. Ana was elated once the two boys started acting civilly towards each other. If any one of her friends could rival Draco’s stubborn nature, it was going to be Aeron.

Ana trudged her way into her room, opening up the window to let in any breeze the growing evening air would bring. But to her dismay, the thin curtains remained still as the night remained sticky and humid, making her even that much more miserable.

When she turned around she saw Draco playing with a bit of his broken bishop, passing the small shard between his cold fingertips. The game in front of him showed all signs of her losing.

She sat down opposite her brother, noticing the space that Aeron occupied was horribly empty.

“Finish it, please,” Ana instructed with a despondent sigh.

Draco looked up at her with soft wide eyes for a moment before he returned his focus to the board between them. His mind was reeling with the strategy that Aeron told him about before he left, and Ana could see the gears turning behind his thin brows. If only she knew what move he was about to make.

She could.

With her training, Ana reckoned she could try and dip into his mind for a second. All she needed was a glance into his memory to find out their master plan. It wouldn’t be the first time she had done magic wandlessly and nonverbally. And it would test her efficiency and allow her to win the game.

As she assessed her plans to win, Draco sat slouched with a frown as he stared at the few pieces that were left on the board. And with that single glance at her baby brother, Ana made peace with losing the game. Despite wanting so badly to win, and knowing a way she could, she refused. Draco winning would mean more to him; in a way, it would mean more to Ana to see him happy.

Draco picked up his pivotal piece, moving it closer to her king and leaving all of her players defenseless. There was no way around this, so Ana picked up her king and moved it further up the board.

With a tiny giggle, the young boy moved his piece to its final spot, slamming it down on the board with a smile. The small delicate figure lifted its sword and sliced through her king. That was it.

“Congratulations, Draco. You win.”

He deserved it. He earned it. Ana wanted to win, but at the sight of Draco’s toothy grin, she knew that his victory was also her own. She had the means to invade his mind and steal the win, but it began to feel disgusting, prying through her brother’s head for her own gain.

A gentle breeze wafted through her blonde hair, allowing the girl a moment of relief. She could finally cool down.

~

“Focus! I do not care if you’re about to melt on the spot, Ms. Malfoy. You have done it once already. We will not leave this room until you complete the task at hand.”

Sweat was dripping from her hairline as she struggled for air; her lack if stamina and increased exhaustion was causing Ana to see spots in her vision. The silk blouse that should’ve been cool against her skin just felt like a sticky bandage and she wanted nothing more than to go to bed and guzzle her Dreamless Sleep potion. She had finished her batch brewed by the insufferable Snape and was now drinking from the mix she made herself. It worked perfectly. If only her Legilimency worked as well.

“Professor, I’ve been trying to do it nonverbally for two weeks straight! I’m tired.”

Before the final word escaped her mouth, the professor swished his wand at a book that was sitting on top of her ceiling tall shelf and sent it across the room, nearly hitting her as it flew. Her heart pounded at the prospect of almost being smacked by a thick book, but her heart burned uncomfortably as the man encroached her space. His intimidating height almost made her feel small, and yet her face held a stern emotionless gaze in return, refusing to back down. The two were in a stare-off; not their first, and definitely not their last.

“Do you think the Dark Lord gave up Legilimency just because the room temperature was not to his liking? Your father said you’d have the skill set to succeed in Legilimency. I unfortunately agree with him and yet you are as insufferable as the rest of Hogwarts.”

“You know that’s a lie,” Ana countered firmly as she stiffened her posture, trying her hardest to look as big as she could to offset his stature. “Imagine doing this much training on any other student, Professor. You would lose your mind.”

As expected, the sullen man rolled his eyes and huffed at her, adjusting his sleeves as he regained his composure.

“I have already lost my mind with your whining, Malfoy. Now, focus.”

Ana was about to square off with her professor until she stopped abruptly, shooting straight up in worry.

“Does the ministry know what we’re doing? Can’t they track my spells?”

Snape’s brow raised at her question, surprised she would remember the conditions most children were forced to follow. Since Christmas Eve when she performed her accidental act on her father, she feared getting in trouble with the Ministry for her reckless magic. Learning Legilimency as a, now, thirteen year old girl felt particularly damning.

“Your father and I have made some arrangements. We know a woman who works within magic usage and the laws regarding underage magic. She’s a dreadful woman, but she’s gullible,” he explained before returning to his unnervingly severe expression. “Now, Ms. Malfoy, we will continue until the end of the night or until you complete the task. You decide.”

And Professor Snape made good of his word, forcing the young girl to work until the point of collapse. Her head was pounding from screaming the incantation over and over in her head only for the man to gruff and condescend her further. Thankfully, he had allowed her the chance to sit down once her mother noticed how defeated she was, but Snape was relentless. He was running his mouth faster than he ran away from Gryffindors and Ana was done in every way.

“This is just disappointing, Ms. Malfoy. We’ve been training for over half a year by this time and you are still struggling with the mere discipline that is paying attention. I do not care that you are tired. I care about the fact that you are not giving it your all. When I first learned, I had to dedicate myself to the practice entirely.”

“Who taught you?”

Snape’s diatribe stalled at the question she presented. From her spot on the couch, Ana wiped her neck with her blanket, mentally cringing at the now dirty fabric, but she had to clear her skin of the feeling. Professor Snape wasn’t sweating, which didn’t sit well with the girl considering he was still draped from head to two in long black robes, whereas her blouse, chiffon robes and light skirt still left her dying for some fresh air. The air that surrounded her was damp and uneasy, and the man only made her feel even more uncomfortable.

“I think you are smart enough to guess as to who taught me, Ms. Malfoy,” he sneered impatiently. “He was brutal in his teachings. Just be lucky I am not implementing his training style upon you. That would be an ugly sight.”

At his exclamation, Ana’s mind tried to piece together what that looked like: Snape being taught by the Dark Lord. Suddenly she felt grateful for her conditions, her being warm and tired weren’t important anymore. If she could do this, it would all be over and she could go to bed.

With renewed enthusiasm, Ana stood up and faced her stone cold Professor, noticing how he was waiting on her to continue. Her chest felt heavy, and yet she gulped down as much air as she could before pointing her want to the man. He gave her a sharp nod, silently encouraging her.

It took everything in her, but as she cleared her mind of anything other than her objective, the incantation felt clearer than ever before. Her focus was unwavering and at the flourish of her wand and the straining of her temples, the room became dark.

The rubble beneath her feet threatened to trip Ana as she stumbled within the scene: kicking a rock away from her trail. Every surface that surrounded her had been blown to bits, leaving nothing but dirt and dust as far as she could see. She had never seen this place before, but from the broken expression on Snape’s face, Ana could tell that this was not a fond memory. The man walked through the threshold of the collapsed front door, there were no walls to hold up the door that was still connected by a single hinge at the base of the destruction.

Snape’s face was one of pure panic and despair, even though they were entirely alone. His narrowed dark eyes welled with tears as he shuffled hurriedly past her and up the fragmented stairs. The planks of wood stuck up, jagged cuts ripped the lumber in half and Ana had to be careful of her footing as she followed the man.

His dark cloaks hid the scene from her view, but what was most surprising was how the man dropped to his knees and hovered over some figure. She couldn’t tell who it was, but from the feet that poked from behind his robes, Ana assumed he was holding a woman. He was wailing so loudly that the sound pierced right through her body, igniting a fear in her that reminded her of being chased by the troll last Halloween. Except this was Snape’s troll. This memory was one that ruined him.

Ana’s wide blue eyes took in the rest of the scene; the windows were destroyed, bits of glass were littered over the floor and she imagined the man was kneeling on some of it at that moment. The room was small, not big enough for an adult, and from the crib on the far side of the room, Ana knew her guess was accurate.

Her professor’s wailing was then coupled with the sound of a child crying; Snape made no move to placate the toddler’s sadness. But it killed her. Whenever Draco cried, she was always the one to soothe him, and the sound made her inch closer to the white crib, just trying to get a view of the child.

But she never got the chance.

As soon as she tried moving around Snape, she was forcefully ripped from the scene, dropping back into the Manor with a gasp. Snape had never ejected her from a memory so violently, and Ana struggled to regain her balance as she returned with wobbly legs and tired eyes. Performing Legilimency was hard on its own, but having done it non-verbally depleted her of any energy she had left. Her hand was still gripping her wand hard.

Professor Snape had fallen to the floor, his hands sprawled wide on the stone beneath him as he choked for air, searching for anything to calm the trauma that raced through his veins. Ana stared down at the man, awaiting either his praise or a reprimanding. When he looked up, she was shocked to find he was now sweating profusely, to the point that his robes were now soaked and causing the stone floor to glimmer. It made Ana cringe just to see, the mess was unsightly.

Once he was able to settle down, he lifted from his spot on the ground, slowly and without grace, as all of the strength had been sucked from his body.

Ana grimaced as her grew closer to her and took multiple steps back to escape him. With worried wild eyes and a trembling voice he fixated on the young girl, looking for the first time, out of control.

“Do not tell anyone what you just saw.”

“I won-“

“No,” he interrupted indignantly, “Under no circumstances can anyone know what you just saw. Thank goodness you seem to have a natural proclivity for Occlumency.”

“If I didn’t what would have happened?” Ana asked before she could stop herself. It was a strange comment for the man to make, and for a second she grew worried on his behalf. She didn’t ask to see that particular memory, and yet the one she was exposed to that day was enough to fully unravel the man.

Instead of answering her, he flicked his wand and sent the book from earlier back on the shelf, before gliding across the large room, putting as much space between himself and the young girl.

“We are done training until further notice, Ms. Malfoy.”


	3. [Pureblood] Family Feud

Skulls. Every surface as far as her eyes could see was littered with skulls of various sizes, all in different stages of decay and preservation. Draco was more preoccupied with a larger black cupboard in the back of the cluttered room, whereas Ana found herself more drawn to a large ornate necklace that hung behind an enchanted glass. The barrier between her and the dangling jewel in front of her was at least an inch thick, glimmering with an iridescent hue as if just touching it would cause her pain. The only description for the item was:

CURSED ITEM. DO NOT TOUCH.

Ana did not need any more of a warning, so she held her hands behind her back in a fist, allowing no limbs near the thing. However, that necklace was not the only artefact with that warning, making the third year pray her clumsy feet wouldn’t fall in this particular shop. It wasn’t the first time she’d been there, but it was the first time she was let inside.

With her mother unavailable, Ana and Draco were escorted to Diagon Alley by their father, much to Ana’s annoyance. He was striking up deals and bargains with the seller, his voice rose every time his counter offered was denied.

All she wanted to do was look at the new Nimbus 2001’s that had hit the market, but instead she was stuck inside the musky, dull Borgin and Burkes. It was fascinating to be inside for the first time, but the energy was off. Every painting, figurine, and piece of furniture had some sort of dark element to it, and she couldn’t help but think about how Snape said she’d be called to the Dark Arts. No matter how hard she wanted to deny him, her eyes marveled at everything she could see. It was fascinating, even if the core of it all was damaged and broken. She hated how intrigued she was.

The lush green couch that sat in the center of the room called her name, the slightly taller heeled boots were killing the soles of her feet. No matter how much Ana debated her mother, the older she got meant the taller the heel. It was a rule she absolutely detested, mainly because even with the added advantage, Draco was catching up to her in height.

She gathered the length of her swishy gray skirt as she went to sit down, only to jump back up at the smacking sound of her father striking his walking stick against the dark cabinet near Draco. All heads turned towards the disturbance, and Ana grimaced at the dramatic display her father put on.

Unlike his father, Draco waltzed out of the dingy shop wordlessly with the older man right behind him. Neither waited to see if she would follow them, which made her heart fall for a moment from being ignored. Instead, Ana turned to the cabinet and began admiring the delicate details of the piece, understanding why Draco was so drawn to it. She grazed the dark lacquer with the tip of her finger before being disrupted from an excited voice.

“Ana!” Aeron called from the alley, his voice traveling down the bricked narrowed space.

Her eyes widened in excitement at the sight of the boy and ran out of the shop, fully forgetting the cabinet behind her.

His eyes glimmered in the summer sun, making them look like a dark chestnut and his hair was starting to sprout tiny little stubble. Ana knew it shouldn’t bother her so much, but she desperately wished his old floppy style was still around. Her face fell at his bare fingernails.

“Did you not use the polish I gave you Aer-head?” Ana mumbled as the two of them trudged the uneven stoned walkway that tapered into the main alley. 

He too was dressed in the typical pureblood aesthetic, dark jewel tones, multi-karat accessories, and extensive thread counts that were the default option for them. But unlike her, Aeron got to wear flat shoes, which made the young girl pout.

“I, uh, well I didn’t think it would be smart to wear around my uncle,” he countered as he scratched his prickly hair.

“I’m so sor-“

“No! Don’t apologize! I figured out a way around it,” he stopped in the middle of the crowded alley to lift his foot, nearly tipping over in the process. He shook the leather loafer at the girl and offered a sneaky wink as he pointed at the tip of the shoe. “Toe nails, Anabanana.”

His smile was unbeatable, stretching across his pointed face which made her rounder one mirror the same expression naturally. But Ana’s loud chuckle bounced off the parallel walls that surrounded them, making all the decrepit onlookers judge her with narrowed eyes. Neither of them cared as they finished walking out of the small gangway.

The air noticeably felt lighter as soon as they entered the main road; all the families were gathered to collect their books and supplies for the following year and Ana smiled at all the other students. 

Roger Davies, a fellow third year in Ravenclaw was dawdling by the entrance of Gringotts as he jangled a bag of coins. Oliver Wood was practically pushing first years aside as he ogled at the new brooms at Quidditch Quality Supplies, whereas Pansy Parkinson was Twilfitt and Tatting's, a shop that her mother typically shopped at. It was strange to see everyone again after the long summer, but the familiar faces, even ones that weren’t her friends, helped her relax.

“Ana!”

For the second time that hour, she was hollered at; however this voice was deeper and warmer than she remembered. Ana whipped around to see Lucian, although, the boy had grown at least half a foot within the months they were apart. Even in her heels, his taller frame left a frighteningly long shadow along the cobblestone street. His voice was deeper and for a moment, Ana was caught off guard.

“Aeron, how are you? That’s definitely a new look for you, mate,” he draped his arm across the splotchy boy’s shoulders, squeezing him close in a side hug. “Gonna take some time to get used to.”

“Yeah, yeah, Lucifer, I get it,” Aeron chuckled as he hip checked the older boy.

The three of them continued down the path of Diagon Alley, acknowledging glances from fellow students as they went along. All of them landed at Flourish and Blotts; Ana unraveled the list of items to get out of her small clutch, glazing over the books she would need for her third year.

Inside the store was an absolute mess, worse than previous years and Ana grew uncomfortable at the sweaty bodies that threatened to touch her. Patrons were shuffling in, packing themselves like pixies in a cage as they all made their way towards the front of the room. Unable to handle the sizeable swarm, Ana huffed up the carpeted stairs, where surprisingly, Draco was already standing.

From this vantage point, she noticed a man in dazzling gold robes at the front of the room, although Ana stuck her nose up at him after surveying his attire. The fabric was far too synthetic to look authentic, it didn’t match the material she typically wore.

A fake, she scoffed.

Her eyes danced overtop the heads of the crowd, finding Calista and her parents: the family were all beautiful shades of golden brown skin and various hairstyles. Her parents had braids going down their back whereas Calista went for a natural style, the coils piled on top of her head in tiny buns accented with beaded clips. Ana adored the new look and grimaced at the dull hair-do she fashioned every day for herself.

However, the Kanes were accompanied by another family towards the middle of the shop. That family being the Grangers based off Hermione’s likeness to the couple that was talking to Calista’s parents. Ana’s brows rose in surprise, seeing them together but it made Ana smile as she watched Calista and Hermione engaging in casual conversation. It made sense for the two muggleborns to gravitate towards each other. Thankfully, Draco was more focused on a book, leaving her oblivious to the Slytherin and Gryffindor interaction.

The door opened again, revealing a disgruntled Alex as she held two cones of ice cream in her hands, the treat starting to drip under the summer sun. Ana laughed as the girl held the cones above her head, trying her hardest to avoid them from getting squished from the bustling mob. Alex’s blue eyes glowed happily as she found Calista in the crowd, handing her the minty green ice cream cone to the girl and licking off the bits that landed on her forearm. Calista held on to the girl as the two of them brought their attention to Hermione once again. Alex stayed close to the fellow Slytherin, slurping at her rainbow covered dessert that was covered in sprinkles as she listened.

Aeron and Lucian stayed back by the windows, not too far from her own father who was watching the scene before him, his hand cradling his robes and holding it close to his body. She wondered what he was holding until a sickeningly smooth voice boomed from the front of the Flourish and Blotts. Her attention was called to the man, although her gaze faltered as soon as she caught a swatch of red hair among the boring browns and blondes.

Ana knew that hair anywhere, and her heart pounded as she found the Weasleys all huddled together like a pride of lions. They were all dressed in ill-fitted, tattered clothing; even their mother and father were wearing items that seemed like they were held together by a literal thread. With a quick glance, she took notice of how her father’s attire clashed so aggressively with Mr. Weasleys. It was almost laughable how different their fathers were. The ginger man was on the move, completely forgetting about the blonde man at the front, as he pushed patrons aside to meet with the Grangers and the Kanes.

Down on the floor another Weasley caught sight of the girl; Ron elbowed Fred in the ribs, only to point up at Ana. Fred’s face lit up as he slapped George’s arm which was already holding a pile of books. The older of the two buzzed excitedly in his spot, unable to get the best look of her from where he was standing.

“Harry Potter?”

Ana turned to watch the young Harry Potter being shoved into the arms of the theatrical man, which only made her and Draco roll their eyes in annoyance. The wizard seemed off to her. Soon enough a large wave made her focus on the Weasley twins, and it took everything within Ana to not smirk at their antics. She wanted to give them a giant smile and wave like an idiot, but Ana knew there were eyes on her. Mainly, the burning glare from her father halted her desires to be friendly, leaving her emotionless as the twins tried their hardest to get a reaction. It killed her to remain so still.

Both boys’ faces turned down from their failed attempts, and they turned back to the front of the shop to get blinded by the flash of a photograph. Ana sighed in relief the moment that dreadful man stopped talking, but that relief was short lived as she watched her father shift from his position in the back. He was brought to attention as the crowd expanded since the one-man-show at the front was finally over.

Draco ripped a page out of a book, stuffing the sheet into her pockets as he stumbled down that stairs, his eyes focused on the Gryffindors of his year.

“Draco, whatever you’re thinking about doing I suggest you leave it.”

Ana grabbed at her brother’s arm, trying to hold back her brother whose face twisted at the sight of the lions at the base of the steps. The Gryffindors were getting closer, and from her spot she could see the twins and a younger ginger girl joining the group, the baby sister she presumed, causing her face to plead with Draco.

“Stay out of this, Ana. Potter and I’ve got some talking to get to. You remember how they stole the House Cup last year. And for what? Doing some dumb puzzles and playing chess? We do that for fun in our free time,” he bit back, once again turning his cold glare back onto the oncoming group. “Gonna give them a piece of my mind.”

With a yank, he pulled away from Ana’s grip, leaving her at the top of the staircase to survey the brawl that she was visualizing in her mind.

As promised, Draco approached the group and exchanged venom laced comments with the lions, perfectly encased in a standoff. Her heart was pounding from both anxiousness of what her brother might do and from embarrassment of not knowing how to react. So, as she assessed the situation, her features remained unreadable despite how badly she wanted to smile at the older boys.

Fred and George were standing behind their siblings; like Lucian, they too had grown over the summer acting like makeshift body guards for the younger ones against Draco. The gapping between their feet and the ankle of their pants widened, making it very clear to the Slytherin that they did not have either the time or the means to by properly fitted clothes. Her own luxurious attire suddenly felt shameful.

She couldn’t focus on the twins for long considering her father had now joined the students, his walking stick stabbing into the Draco’s shoulder. It made Ana cringe, she remembered how those fangs felt. They were sharp. His addition to the small face-off felt unbalanced; a grown man looking down on twelve year olds made the acid in Ana’s stomach bubble. Once her father brought his cane up to Harry’s head, pushing back his scraggly black hair, she knew that she couldn’t observe any longer.

Unable to stay away any longer, Ana clunked down the stairs in her heels, drawing the attention of Fred and George who smirked at her arrival, before dropping their smiles just as quickly as they grew.

“Weasleys, Granger,” Ana acknowledged trying her hardest to play the part of the aloof Slytherin, “Potter.”

Harry’s brows scrunched in confusion at Ana’s reference to them all. Even Ron and George’s eyes widened at her suddenly harsher tone. The sweeter, playful tone was long gone and it was replaced with one that didn’t fit her soft features. It sounded robotic, almost metallic to the ear. Fred frowned, his brown eyes leaving hers as he stared up at her foreboding father.

Referring to them all by their last names felt dirty; it was also her first encounter with Hermione, and Ana felt like this definitely wasn’t the best way to make her first introduction. However, with her father breathing down her neck and her agitated brother, Ana knew she had no other option. She flipped her hair behind her shoulder and clasped her hands together in front of her, effectively closing herself off from the non-Slytherins.

She couldn’t focus on what her father was saying; her mind was elsewhere and all she could focus on was keeping her back painfully straight and tall. The large room, filled to the brim with books and patrons felt smaller by the minute, and although she knew it was improbable, Ana felt like every eye was on her, getting ready to pull apart her façade piece by piece.

Soon enough, Mr. Weasley joined the group: a round joyful looking man. At the sight of his ducky pin, Ana’s stern face almost broke; it took almost all of her energy to keep herself together.

The standoff between Slytherins and Gryffindors was made apparent with the two fathers at the head of the pack, leaving the children to square off towards whoever was ahead of them. No one truly knew what the disagreement was over, but from her father’s handful of books Ana figured it was a pretty dumb conflict.

Fred’s gaze found Ana’s again, although it felt like she was looking through him, instead of at him. It was unsettling, but something he had experienced before with the girl. He had come to understand that it was her defense; her default expression when she had something to hide. Or someone to hide from. In turn, he refused to look away from her, instead he reached up to the collar of his soot-covered sweater.

He pulled sneakily at the thin wool, making sure no one was watching him as he did so. Confused by what he was doing, Ana’s eyes widened while she kept the rest of her as still as stone. With a small smirk, Fred revealed to her the Nirvana shirt that she had gifted him earlier that year. From the neckline she could make out the yellow smiley face and the tiny surprise broke her.

Fred smiled wide at the sight of Ana’s lip curling into a tiny smile. It was small and only lasted for a moment, but he saw it.

She couldn’t help it.

Her father dropped a stack of books into the cauldron that belonged to the small ginger girl, making Ana tear her eyes away from Fred. Her vacant expression returned, making her closer to her father and brother than she ever had before.

The two patriarchs sized each other for a final time, scowling like they were in an epic battle instead of standing in a magical bookshop with a tiny army of children among them. The melodrama of it all made Ana roll her eyes before she had the chance to catch herself, which caught the attention of Harry. He stifled a laugh from her indiscreet display of dis , but left it alone.

As the two men parted ways, her father instructed for Draco and Ana to follow him out of the shop. Draco turned dramatically on his heel to join him, racing out of the shop pridefully. Ana’s knees buckled as she let go of her tall stance, finally relaxing her shoulders at the absence of her father and brother. For the first time in ten minutes she was finally able to take a full breath, one that Mr. Weasley noticed.

“Sorry about that,” Ana mumbled quietly, hoping they heard it. But also hoping she wasn’t making a mistake for apologizing.

The group focused on her, and Ana grew nervous under their gazes. Instead, she decided to only take notice of Hermione who stood to the side.

“Hi, Hermione. I’m Ana by the way,” she offered a tiny smile, which was cautiously returned by the muggleborn. Her bushy head whipped around as she made faces of disbelief to Ron and Harry, but Ana wanted to move on.

“I have to run soon,” Ana addressed hurriedly, beaming softly to the entirety of them. She finally turned to the youngest of them all, nodding politely to the tiny ginger girl. “You’ll have a great time, first-year. I just know it.”

The girl didn’t smile or frown at her statement, and for a second, she saw herself in the face of the youngest Weasley. Her reluctance to react felt familiar, and Ana knew that she was a tough one, regardless of age or size.

With a simple nod, Ana turned away while waving goodbye to Lucian and Aeron who had joined Alex, Calista and her parents. She wished she could have said hello to the girls, but every second she was away from her father would cause suspicion.

Without hesitation, she wobbled out of the shop, struggling to find her balance as her heels met the stone walkway. Her father was talking to a dingy man down the road, a man that looked like he belonged in Knockturn Alley, while Draco’s eyes were glued to the new Nimbus 2001.

Ana took her spot beside him, marveling at the black stained wood that shined before them. If only she could swipe it from beyond the glass, her day would be made, Ana mused.

“What took so long?” Draco questioned lazily, all his focus was still on the broom.

“Just saying goodbye to Aeron,” she replied casually, finding it easy to lie on the spot.

From down the block, the doors from the book shop opened, releasing a slew of redheads and Ana’s heart grew at the swarm of them. Laughter and bickering bounced off the walls of the neighboring shops and all she wanted was to take off her shoes and run towards them. But she couldn’t.


End file.
